Method of preparing printing members for use



Feb. 16, 1937. w. T. GOLLWIT ZER' 2,070,593

I METHOD OF PREPARING PRINTING MEMBERS FOR USE I Filed Feb. 29, -1936 2Sheets-Sheet, 1

INVENTOR.

MTjW fima/w ATTORNEYS.

7 INVENT OR. 7mm 7? c? 2 sheets-sheet? Filed Feb. 29, 1936 i w. T.GOLLWITZER' METHOD OF PREPARING PRINTING MEMBERS FOR USE aAD:

246 NQFOURTH, ST. AKRON, OHIO 0 BMW M 310 805K U1 J1 mm 9 m MR JAMESBROWN Feb. 16, 1937 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE METHOD OF PREPARING PRINTING MEM BERS FORUSE ration ofDelaware Application February 29, 1936, Serial No. 66,332

19 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparingprinting'members for use in a series printing machine. Moreparticularly, the

present invention relates to an improved method and. apparatus formounting printing plates in suitable frames or holders.

The general object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmethod for preparing a printing plate, for use in a series printingmamchine, such as an Addressograph, where each plate is mounted in aframe, and the frame progressed through the machine to enable successiveimpression to be made from the plates, one

v at a time.

Printing systems utilizing individual printing plates carried byrespective frames, are well known at the present time. Such systemsoften employ thousands of printing units (combined plates. and frames),as, for instance, a system of addressing invoices to the subscribers bylarge public utility corporations.

One advantage of using printing units comprising printing'platesremovably mounted on individual frames, is that the printing plate -vmay, be manufactured econimically, in contrast with the cost ofmanufacturing plates which are intended for use without frames. Thiseconomical advantage results from thefact that the plates may be made ofcomparatively light material, without regard to rigidity or strength, asthey are supported by frames while in use. The frames act to protect theplates by absorbing the shocks imparted to the units during theirprogress through the printing mechanism,

552.5: well aswhile they are being transferred between the printingmachine and suitable storage receptacles, while the printing plateitself is subjected only to the compressive stresses of the printingaction.

Another advantage of the separable units is that the frames may bearranged to protect the printing surfaces or characters of the platewhen the units are stacked one above another. The frame may bemanufactured of a material more 45 readily adapted for long use and morecapable of withstanding hard wear than a printing plate, as the lattermust be made of material which will permit the embossing of suitableprinting characters thereon.

As a result, it has been found that where the plates are mounted onindividual frames, the frames outlast several printing plates, andprovide a system which may be economically maintained;

In" systems-using such printingdevices, when a plate becomes worn, orwhen the subscribers address is changed or dropped from the mailinglists; it is desirable to remove the plates from the frames, abandon theplates and insert new plates on the old frames.

One of the difficulties encountered in the use ever, that these plates,which are made of comparatively thin metal, are diflicult to maintain inproper sequence, between the period of embossing and their storage onframes. It is therefore a specific object of the present invention toprovide a method and apparatus which will insure the retention of theplates in proper sequence, until they are positioned on their frames andretained in position thereon, so that they may not be readily dislodged.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedapparatus for mounting printing plates on frames or holders. Theapparatus of the present invention may be considered as an improvementon the apparatus shown, described and claimed in my copendingapplication for Letters Patent, Serial No. 733,709, filed July 5th,1934.

Other objects of the present invention will be explained in thefollowing description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which I have illustrated a preferred form of mechanism, includedwithin my invention, which may be used in carrying out my improvedmethod. The novel features of the invention will be set forth in theclaims.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. l is a plan view of an addressprinting plate; Fig. 2 illustrates the plate of Fig. 1, after the firststep of my improved method has been carried out, namely, the embossingof the plate; Fig. 3 illustrates the plate of Fig. 2, after the endsthereof have been notched; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the completeprinting device, namely, the plate assembled on a frame orholder; Fig. 5is a fragmentary perspective view of the printing device illustratingthe manner of retaining the plate in position on the frame; Fig. 6 is afragmentary section through the printing device, as indicated by theline 6-6 on Fig. 4;Fig.' 7 is a plan view of a mechanism for mountingprinting plates on their. frames; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transversesection of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. '7, theplane of the sectionbeing indicated. by the line 8-8 on Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is. a transversevertical section, through the mechanism as: indicated bythe line 99 onFig. 7; Fig. 10' is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 9, butillustrating certain parts in a different position.

.them'with printing characters B in the usual Referring again to thedrawings, and especially to Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the printing plate withwhich this invention is especially concerned, comprises a substantiallyrectangular-shaped, thinplate A, made of a material sufficiently soft topermit printing characters to be embossed thereon in the usual manner,yet sufiiciently hard to permit repeated use of the plate as a printingdevice. I have found that metal alloys, such as zinc, aluminum or tin,are well adapted for suchuse.

Aseries of plates ofthe type illustrated in Fig. I

1, are utilized to make printing devices for a complete list of addressprinting members. The operator takes the plates one by one and embossesmanner, such as,'for-instance, by an embossing machine of the typeillustrated in Patent No.

1,831,103, issued to my assignee, Addressograph Company, November 10th,1931.

After a'plate has been embossed, the operator,

byuse of any suitable punch mechanism, forms notches C in'opp'osite endsof the plate, as illustrated in Fig. 3. These notches C, as noted from'Fig. 3, are dove-tailed, that is, entrance to the notch is restrictedrelative to any other dimension 30f thenotch parallel with the entranceand inwardlytherefrom. The notches are located on opposite ends of theplate substantially midway between the side edges thereof. I

My improved method includes the step of stacking these plates, one abovethe other, in

the order in which they are embossed, that is,

the order in which they are to be used in the printing machine, andmaintaining them in such stacked relationship by engaging at least onenotch of each plate and thereafter positioning each plate on anindividual frame holder and retaining the plate in position on saidholder by engagement of the notches of the plate by p'ortions of theirrespective frames.

A suitable frame, or holder on which the ad- 1 dress or printing plate Ais to be mounted for use in printing machines, isbest illustrated inFigs.

4, 7 and 9. As there shown, the frame comprises a sheet-metal member D,preferably of a more substantial material than the printing plate. Thisframe, is provided with a curled-over lower edge II, which, togetherwithstamped up ears I2, form a slideway for the printing plate A, and

adapted to occupy the notch C of the printing 7 plate. Theinclinedcentral portion I8 provides abrupt shoulders 20 to engage the sidewallsof the notches C and thereby accurately locate the plate on the frame.This permits the use'of a plate, which fits loosely in the guideways IIand tongueI5 by extreme portions described in various patents assignedto .signee, Addressograph Company.

I2 to enable the plate to be easilyinserted on the frame. The raisedportion I 6 of the spring tongue is also connected with the body of theIS set back from the abrupt shoulders I1.

The side edges of the frame D are reenforcedwith suitable ribs 22,formed by downwardly and then upwardly curled portions of the framemember. These'ribs space the printing devices, one I above the other, sothat the printing characters The frame above referred to is claimed inmy and assigned to my assignee, Addres'sogr'aph Commy as pany, and ishere set out; so that my improved method and apparatus may be betterunderstood.

The mechanism which I have shownto facilitate'the mounting of the plateson the frames is an improvement on the mechanism shown in my priorapplication for Letters Patent, Serial No. 733,709, heretoforementioned' Briefly, this mechanism comprises a base 30, carrying a magaezine SI, adapted to receive a stack of frames or holders, a secondmagazine 32 adapted'to receive a stack of embossed plates A and retainthem in such stacked relationship as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, and a receiving magazine 33 into which the assembled printingdevices are stacked by mechanism carried by the base. 7

Suitable feeding mechanism is provided to feed the frames one at a timefrom the magazine 3!, while other mechanism feeds the plates one at atime from the magazine 32, and mounts them on the frames. The feedingmechanism may, if

desired, act to remove an old plate from the frames, as they areprogressed from the magazine 3i, if a frame carries such plate. Such amechanism is described and claimed in my copending application,heretofore referred to, and hence will not be illustrated or describedin the present application. a

As shown in Fig. '7, the base 30 is provided with a guideway 34, alongwhich the frames are fed from the magazine 3| to the magazine 32.

. The bottommost frame is fed from the stack car- 7 ried in the magazine3| in the usual manner by a pusher 35, reciprocably mounted in theguideway, and arranged to engage the bottommost frame D, and shove itinto the position illustrated by the frame DI in Fig. 7.- At the sametime the second surface 36 of this pusher engages the frame whichpreviously lay in the position indi-' cated by the frame DI, and shovesit into the magazine 33. The arrangement of the magazine 33 is such thatthe printing devices are automatically stacked therein, consequent uponthe operation of the pusher. Such device may either be accomplished bygravity, that is,'by the devices dropping one at atime to a magazine,which sets below the guideway 34, or, if preferred, by suitablearrangement such as shown in my prior applications heretofore referredto, which raises the successive plates up and retains them in suchposition so that the plates maybe slid one beneath the other, and thusstacked.

As illustrated in Fig. 7, the guideway 34 is mounted on pivots 38, sothat it may be rocked, causing the frame DI (Fig. 7) to be raisedupwardly, and the tongues I5 thereof to be depressed, relative to theframe, by lips 39 carried by the base 30. The depression of the tonguesI5 enables a printing plate A to be shoved from the magazine 32, acrossthe depressed righthand tongue 15 into position on the frame, whereuponthe guideway is lowered, releasing the spring tongue 15 of the frame.The feeding mechanism thereafter functions to eject such combined frameand plate, shoving it into the magazine 38 and position a new frame toreceive a plate.

The feeding of the frames is accomplished by the rotation of avhand-wheel 40 by the operator. This hand-wheel, as shown in Fig. 9, isconnected by bevelled gearing 4|, with a vertically extending shaft 42,which carries at its upper end an arm 43, provided with a roller 45.This roller engages a slot in a pivoted lever 44, which is provided, asshown in Fig. 7, with an arm 46, connected by a link 41, with a lever48. The lever 48 is pivoted as at 49 to the base 30, and is provided atits outermost edge with a slot 50, the walls of which engage a ball 5|,secured, as indicated at Fig. 10, to the pusher 35, causing the latterto be 'reciprocated in the guideway 34, thereby feeding the framesconsequent upon the operation of the handwheel 40.

The feeding mechanism is so arranged that the bottommost plate A is fedfrom the stack carried in the magazine 32, and shoved onto the framewhich occupies the position indicated by the frame DI, while the framefeeding pusher is on its return stroke, thus forming a complete printingdevice. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the plate feed mechanism comprises apusher 52, secured to a bar 54, mounted in suitable guideways in thebase 30 for reciprocation in a direction transverse to the frameguideway 34. The pusher 52 is provided with an abrupt edge 55 arrangedto engage the right-hand end of the bottommost plate A in the magazine32 and shove it to the left (Fig. 7) into position on the frame DI.

The plate feed bar 54 is operated by the lever 44 heretofore described.As indicated in Figs. 9 and 10, this lever 44 is provided with a slot60, the walls of which engage a roller 6| mounted on a stud 62 carriedby the feed bar 54. Therefore, consequent upon the rotation of thehandwheel, heretofore described, the plate-feeding mechanism willposition a plate on the frame DI.

The operation of the plate feed bar 54 rocks the frame guideway 34 aboutits pivots 38, to

cause the depression of the plate-retaining tongues l5, as heretoforementioned. The mechanism for accomplishing this is fully shown anddescribed in my copending application, heretofore mentioned. Briefly,however, the frame guideway is provided with a cam 10, extending asshown in Fig. 10, in a direction parallel with the plate feed guidewayand having its righthand end bevelled, as at H, in Figs. 9 and 10.Pivotally mounted to the plate-feed bar 54, is a pawl 15, which isnormally maintained in contact with the bar 54, by a spring 16. When thebar 54 moves to the left (Fig. 9) it engagesthe bevelled surface H ofthe cam and raises the guideway 34 about its pivots. When, however, thebar 54 reaches its extreme left-hand position, the pawl is beyond thecam 10 and as the bar 54 moves toward the right on its return stroke,the pawl is swung out of engagement with the cam 10, passing to one sidethereof. Thus, the guideway 34, on the return stroke of the plate feedbar 54, remains in its lowered position, permitting the advance of theframes.

This invention is especially concerned with the method of, and apparatusfor retaining the embossed plates A in stacked relationship in themagazine 32. It will be noted from Figs. 7, 9 and 10, that theright-hand end of the magazine is provided with a vertically extendingbar or rib 89, adapted to occupy the notch C in the righthand end ofeach address plate A, as indicated in Fig. 7, and maintain the plates instacked relationship. This bar has a cross-section preferablycomplementary to that of the dove-tailed notch in the plate, but in anycase the bar has a portion wider than the throat of the notch, so thatthe plate cannot be extracted horizontally from the bar.

The bar 80 extends downwardly substantially into contact with the pusher52. However, when this pusher is drawn to the right, as shown in Fig.10, the bottommost plate A of the stack falls onto a supporting surface8|, in which position it is dropped below the lowermost end of the bar80. The plate thereabove, however, remains gripped by such bar. Hence,consequent upon the left-hand movement of the pusher 52, the bottommostplate will be ejected from the magazine 32 and the next succeeding platewill be retained therein by coaction of the bar 80 with the wall of thenotch C.

The left-hand end of the side of the magazine is provided with a wall84, extending downwardly as shown in Fig. 9, a distance sufficient tonormally engage the left-hand edge of the second plate from the bottomin the stack. Ordinarily, as is described in my copending application,heretofore mentioned, this side wallwould serve to retain the secondplate from the bottom in the magazine. However, I have found thatsometimes address plates are provided with printing characters on theirright-hand region only, as indicated by the bottommost plate Al in Fig.10. In this instance, the second plate from the bottom A2, will betilted, as shown, so that its lefthand edge will be in contact with thesurface of the bottommost plate Al. Under these conditions, thefrictional contact between the plates Al and A2 would cause the upperplate to be dragged at least part way out of the magazine by theattempted ejection of the bottommost plate. This would result in notonly jamming the machine but injuring both plates.

The troublesome action described is entirely avoided in my invention bythe retention of the next to the bottom plate by the bar 84. By thusabsolutely restricting the feed to the bottommost plate, and avoidingthe discarding of an injured plate, I preserve the original order of theplates.

Likewise, since the bar 88 engages the righthand notch C of the platesWhile the feed is toward the left, the bar need not clear the printingcharacters, as must the left-hand wall of the magazine. Hence, if thecharacters are adjacent the lefthand edge of the plate, so that theslope would be in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 10, theplates would be retained stacked in the magazine 32 by the bar 8? Thus,the engagement of the notches C by the bar 83 retains the piates instacked relationship, prevents damage to the mechanism and prevents morethan one plate from being fed at a time, with consequent loss ordisarrangement of the plates.

I have indicated at'Fig. 9, a second bar 90 (which may or may not bedovetailed) secured to a left-hand wall 84 of the magazine. I have foundthat in some instances the Width of the plates vary, making themdiflicult to position on the frame. However, by providing the magazinewith a bar 9t, as well as a bar 88, I align the notches of the platewith the tongues l5 of the frames, regardless of anyivariation in thewidth of the plates. Thus, when the plates are ejected from the magazine32 and shoved onto a frame, they will be in position proper foralignment with the tongues [5. When the bar 98 is provided, the wall 85of the magazine may be omitted, if desired. i

It is obvious, from the above description, that the retaining of theplates in their magazine by the engagement of the dovetail notch, ishighly advantageous in that'it' prevents Wedging or jamming-of theplates. during the feeding action. This advantage is distinct from thatof maintaining the entire stack in a prearranged order.

.' I may make the bar 39 with its dove-tailed pore the notch of suchretained plate,

3. The method of preparing printing members tion only long enough toeffectively engage the second plate fromthe bottomin'the magazine.

If the bar does not extend above the topmost plate in themagazine', itsupper portion should be bevelled so that the plates descending bygravity will, in efiect, be speared by the bar. Indeed, with afull-height bar it is preferable to bevel the top, and as illustrated at89a in Fig. 9, for greater convenience in manually placing the plates inthe magazine.

I claim:

l. The method of preparing printing members for use comprising the stepsof forming a thin plate, providing the plate with printing charactersand forming a notch in one end of the plate, stacking a plurality ofnotched plates one above the other, and maintaining such notched platesin stacked relationship by engaging the notch of each plate. r

2. The method of preparing printing members for use, comprising thesteps of forming thin plates, embossing each plate to form raisedprinting characters thereon, forming a notch in one end of each plate,stacking a plurality of such notched embossed plates one above theother,

' thereafter feeding the plates successively to individual holders whileretaining in the stack the plate next to the fed plate by means engagingfor use in a printing machine, comprising the steps of forming thinplates, providing each plate with printing characters, forming a notchin one end of each plate, stacking a plurality of such notched platesone above the other, and

maintaining such notched plates in stacked rela tionship, thereafterplacing each plate on an individual holder while retaining the nextadjacent plate by means engaging the notch of such 7 I plate.

e. The method of preparing printing members for use, comprising thesteps of forming thin plates, providing each plate with printingcharactors and forming notches in opposite ends of each plate, stackinga plurality of such notched plates one above the other, and maintainingthem in stackedirelationship by engaging the notch of each plate, andthereafter placing each plate on an individual holder and retaining theplate in position thereon by means engaging the notches of the plate.

5. The method of preparing printing members for use in a printingmachine, comprising the step of forming a plate, providing the platewith printing characters, forming a dove-tailed notch in one edge oftheplate, stacking a plurality of notched plates one above the other,and thereafter placmg each plate on an individual holder while re- 7taining the adjacent plate in the stack by engaging the notch thereof.

6. The method of preparing printing members for use in aprinting'machine, comprising forming a dove-tailed notch in one end of aprinting plate having raised printing characters thereon, stacking aplurality of plates, one above the other,

thereafter removing one plate at a time from such stack While retainingthe adjacent plate in the stack by means engaging the notch of suchplate and positioning the removed plate on a holder.

'7, The method of preparing printing members for use in a printingmachine, comprising forming a dove-tailed notch in one end of ,aprinting plate having printing-characters thereon, stack:

ing a plurality of plates, one above the other, and

maintaining them in stacked relationship by simultaneously engaging thenotch of each plate,

' thereafter removing the plates one at a time from such stack andpositioning them on individual holders, and retaining the plates inposition on their respective holders by engaging the notches thereof.

8. The method of preparing printing members for. use in a printingmachine, comprising forming a dove-tailed notch in opposite ends of aprinting plate, stacking a plurality of such notched plates one abovethe other, thereafter removing the plates one at a time fromsuch stackwhile. retaining the plate next adjacent the removed plate in the stackbyengaging' one of the plates on individual holders, and retaining theplates in position on their respective holders by engagement of bothnotches of the plates.

notches thereof and positioning the removed 9. The method of preparingprinting members for use in a printing machine, comprising forming adove-tailed notch in opposite ends of a printing plate having printingcharacters thereon, stacking a plurality of notched plates one above theother, and maintaining such notched plates in stacked relationship,thereafter feeding the plates one at a time from such stack, moving themin a direction away from one of the notches of a next adjacent platewhile retaining the next adjacent plate in the stack by engaging thesaid notch ofsaid plate.

10. The method of preparing printing members for use in a printingmachine, comprising forming a dove-tailed notch in opposite ends of aprinting plate, providing the plate withprinting characters, stacking aplurality of notched plates,- one above the other, and maintaining themin stacked relationship by means engaging both notches of each plate,thereafter removing the plates one at a time from such stack andpositioning them on individual holders, and retaining the plates inalignment on their respective and maintaining such notched plates instacked relationship by engaging the rear notch on each. plate with acommon member, moving the notched plates one at a time forwardly-in apath'at right angles to the movement of the frames to position a plateon each frame, retaining the plates in position on their respectiveframes by engagement of both of said notches with portions of theirrespective holders, and stacking the combined frames and plates.

12. In a machine for acting on plates carrying raised printingcharacters, the combination of a magazine in which a quantity of saidplates may be stacked, means to feed said plates one at a time from oneend of such magazine, and retaining means engaging the plate next to theplate fed at the rear end of such engaged plate to prevent it being fedforwardly with the fed plate.

13. In a machine for acting on plates carrying raised'printingcharacters, the combination of a magazine in which a quantity of saidplates may be stacked, means to feed the bottom plate from said stack,and means occupying a dove-tailed notch in the rear end of the next tothe bottom plate to prevent said plate being fed with the bottom plate.

14. A device for feeding printing members having dove-tailed notches atone end thereof, one at a time from a stack, said feeding mechanismcomprising a magazine having a member wider than the mouth of the notchand adapted to occupy the dove-tailed notch of the printing member nextabove the bottommost member in the stack, means to engage the notchedend of the bottommost printing member and move it from beneath the othermembers in the stack.

15. The combination of means to feed frames ,one at a time, each framebeing adapted to carry a printing member, a magazine adapted to carry astack of printing members having dove-tailed notches in one end thereof,said magazines having means to engage the notches of the printingdevices next above the bottommost device, and means to eject thebottommost printing member from the magazine and position it on theframe.

16. The combination of means to feed frames one at a time, each framebeing adapted to carry a printing member, a magazine adapted to carry astack of printing members having dove-tailed notches in one end thereof,said magazine having means to simultaneously engage the notches of allprinting devices except the bottommost device in the magazine, and meansto eject the bottommost printing members from the magazine and positionit on the frame.

17. A device for feeding printing members having dove-tailed notches atone end thereof, one at a time from a substantially vertically extendingstack, said feeding mechanism comprising a magazine having asubstantially vertically extending dove-tailed bar adapted to occupy thedove-tailed notches of all of the printing members but the bottommostmember in the stack, said member being arranged to permit the devices toslide downwardly in the magazine as the bottommost device is removedfrom the stack, means to engage the notched end of the bottommostprinting member and move toward the opposite end of the stack, therebyejecting it from the magazine, and means to prevent material downwardmovement of the stack until such device has been fully ejectedtherefrom.

18. In a machine of the class described, a base, a guideway carried bythe base, a magazine adjacent one end of the guideway to carry a stackof printing frames, a second guideway intersecting said first guideway,a magazine carrying a stack of printing plates adjacent said secondguideway, means to feed the bottom plate of said stack from the platemagazine, and means occupying a dove-tailed notch in the rear edge ofthe next to the bottom plate in the magazine to prevent such plate beingfed with the bottom plate.

19. The combination of a magazine for holding a stack of individualframes, each frame being adapted to removably support a printing member,means for feeding frames one at a time from the magazine, a secondmagazine adapted to carry printing members having dove-tailed notches inthe ends thereof, means carried by said second magazine and adapted toengage the notches of all printing devices but the bottommost device,and periodically acting means to engage the bottommost printing memberand eject it from its magazine and shove it into position on the framesas they are fed from the first magazine, and means to stack the combinedframe and printing members.

WALTER T. GOLLWITZER.

